Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 24
Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath, the Assault on Vedic Culture, and the Boy-Yamarāja’s Teaching on the Soul
एवं गुणैर्भ्राम्यमाणे मनस्यविकल: पुमान् । याति तत्साम्यतां भद्रे ह्यलिङ्गो लिङ्गवानिव ॥ २४ ॥
evaṁ guṇair bhrāmyamāṇe manasy avikalaḥ pumān yāti tat-sāmyatāṁ bhadre hy aliṅgo liṅgavān iva
Ô douce mère, de même, lorsque le mental est agité par le mouvement des guṇa de la nature, l’être vivant, bien qu’en vérité libre des corps subtil et grossier, se croit « pourvu de corps » et s’imagine passer d’un état à un autre.
As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.84.13) :
FAQs
This verse explains that when the mind is driven by the modes of nature, the jīva seems to take on the modes’ qualities, even though the soul is actually beyond material designation.
He is arguing that bondage is due to identification with the mind and modes; the soul itself is not inherently marked by matter, but appears conditioned when it identifies with the guṇas.
By recognizing that shifting thoughts and moods are movements of the mind under the guṇas, one can practice detachment and steady spiritual focus rather than defining oneself by temporary mental states.